Australia tries to portray itself on the world stage as a proponent of Human Rights, however the deeper you delve into Australia’s current foreign policy the more you realise what a shame it is, the Australian government window dresses corrupt governments like Israel and props up Human Rights abusers like Saudi Arabia. Unfortunately, both topics are much too big for me to grapple with, so I want to focus on a smaller but no less important country, where the Human Rights abuses are just as stifling as those we have seen carried out by the Saudi or Israel governments.
Myanmar (previously Bura) has been in the main stream media recently for all the wrong reasons, issues relating to the Rohingya Muslims of Rakhine state from the west of the country and the horrible treatment they have received at the hands of their own government. The history of this beautifully untouched country has been tainted by brutal government dictatorship, which saw the end of tourists entering the country and a crackdown on journalism; foreign and domestic. This regime along with it’s military junta has wreaked havoc all around the country, targeting many minority populations including those in the Karen state and more recently with the aforementioned Rohingya of the Rakhine state. Despite all these egregious acts Australia gave $400,000 to the Myanmar government “towards training in humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, peacekeeping and English classes”, how could the Australian government on one hand be on the powerful Human Rights Council and on the other gives hundred of thousands of dollars to a government which is the absolute antithesis Human Rights. Although $400,000 isn’t a lot of money when it comes to foreign aid, it’s the principle, it sends a message that if you follow all the international laws you will be granted generous aid from countries that can afford it and if you violate human rights in anyway, you will be punished monetarily, it’s the only way to get governments to listen and to do what is right otherwise we will have tyrannical governments all over the world being funded with Australian tax dollars and the last thing I want is my own money funding domestic terrorism in developing countries.
I don’t believe that Australia should support this military dictatorship any longer, we should pull funding immediately until there is a resolution where the Myanmar generals in control of the government are brought to justice for the horrible violations against human rights. Australia can’t pretend to be for Human Rights while propping up such a horrific regiem.
References: Australia urged to cut ties with Myanmar military over Rohingya atrocities
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jun/27/australia-urged-to-cut-ties-with-myanmar-military-over-rohingya-atrocities